US20030184061A1 - Side airbag apparatus - Google Patents
Side airbag apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20030184061A1 US20030184061A1 US10/395,452 US39545203A US2003184061A1 US 20030184061 A1 US20030184061 A1 US 20030184061A1 US 39545203 A US39545203 A US 39545203A US 2003184061 A1 US2003184061 A1 US 2003184061A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- airbag
- occupant
- seat
- vehicle
- inflator
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
- B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
- B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
- B60R21/23—Inflatable members
- B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
- B60R21/23138—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration specially adapted for side protection
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
- B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
- B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
- B60R21/23—Inflatable members
- B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
- B60R21/23184—Tubular air bags connected to the vehicle at their two extremities
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
- B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
- B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
- B60R21/23—Inflatable members
- B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
- B60R2021/23107—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
- B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
- B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
- B60R21/20—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components
- B60R21/207—Arrangements for storing inflatable members in their non-use or deflated condition; Arrangement or mounting of air bag modules or components in vehicle seats
Definitions
- the present invention relates to the side airbag apparatus, which protects the occupant of vehicle against injury in the event of side collision by inflating the airbag into a vehicle cabin. More specifically, the present invention relates to the side airbag apparatus, which can surely protect the occupant of a vehicle against injury by inflating airbags into a vehicle cabin from a seat of a vehicle.
- the airbag apparatus which deploys the airbag instantly and protects the occupant of a vehicle against injury in the event of collision of a vehicle, has been well known.
- the side airbag apparatus which deploys the airbag towards the region between the occupant and the door so as to protect an occupant of a vehicle against injury, have been used against the occurrence of the side collision.
- the present invention relates to the side airbag apparatus, which deploys an airbag between an occupant of a vehicle and a sidewall of said vehicle in order to protect said occupant in the event of side collision of said vehicle.
- This side airbag apparatus has a first airbag and a second airbag.
- Each of the first airbag and the second airbag has a tube-like shape, and one end thereof is fixed at a seat back of a seat of a vehicle and the other end thereof is fixed at a seat cushion of the seat.
- the position of one end of the second airbag is higher than the position of one end of the first airbag.
- the region ranging from a waist to a leg of the occupant is covered by both the first airbag and the second airbag and the region from a shoulder to a flank of the occupant is covered by the second airbag, when the side airbag apparatus is operated.
- FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the seat of a vehicle equipped with the side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment.
- FIG. 1B is a front side view showing the inflated side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is side view showing the inflated airbag of the side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment.
- FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the condition where the airbag of the side airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment is fully inflated.
- the side airbag apparatus is composed of a first airbag unit 1 and a second airbag unit 2 .
- the second airbag unit 2 is positioned just above the first airbag unit 1 , and is stored in the side part of the seat 14 together with the first airbag unit 1 .
- the first airbag unit 1 and the second airbag unit 2 are stored in the side part ranging from the seat back 12 to the seat cushion 11 of the seat 14 .
- the first airbag unit 1 and the second airbag unit 2 are provided in the side part of the seat 14 so as not to interfere with the rotation of the back lest 12 , which is pivotably connected with the seat cushion 11 through the hinge part 30 .
- the first airbag unit 1 and the second airbag unit 2 are provided at the position outside the end part in the width direction of the vehicle of the hinge part 30 .
- the first airbag unit 1 and the second airbag unit 2 are provided at the outside of the hinge part 30 in order to prevent the airbag from damaging. Because, if the position of both the first airbag unit 1 and the second airbag unit 2 overlaps with the hinge part 30 , the airbag may be damaged by the excess load added to the airbag when the angle of the seat back 12 is adjusted.
- the first airbag unit 1 has a module case 15 , an inflator 16 , and an airbag 13 .
- the module case 15 stores the airbag 13 in the folded condition together with the inflator 16 therein.
- One end of the module case 15 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat back 12 , and the other end of the module case 15 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat cushion 11 . Thereby, one end of the module case 15 is positioned at the upper side of the seat back 12 , and the other end of the module case 15 is positioned at the fore side end of the seat cushion 11 .
- the height of the one end of the module case 15 is established on a level with the flank of the occupant P.
- the module case 15 has a tear line (not shown) at the side part thereof. This tear line is ruptured by the inflated airbag 13 when the side airbag apparatus is operated, and allows the deployment of airbag 13 to the outward. This module case 15 is stored in the side part of the seat 14 so that the tear line faces the outward in the width direction of the vehicle.
- the seat 14 equipped with the module case 15 has a seat cushion 11 , a seat back 12 .
- This seat back is pivotably connected with the seat cushion 11 through the hinge part 30 and has a headrest 25 at the top of the seat back 12 .
- Each of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 has a seam part at the side part thereof. This seam part is easily fractured by the expansion power of the airbag 13 , when the airbag 13 burst through the tear line of the module case 15 . Thus, the deployment of the airbag 23 into the vehicle cabin is allowed.
- the inflator 16 spouts gas rapidly into the airbag 13 according to the seizing signal outputted from the acceleration sensor (not shown).
- This seizing signal is generated when the accelerated velocity of greater than the prescribed value is given to the vehicle. In other words, this seizing signal is generated when side collision with another vehicle is happening.
- the airbag 13 has a tube-like shape. One end part of this airbag 13 is closed and the other end thereof connects with the gas outlet of the inflator 16 .
- the size of the airbag 13 is settled so that the region ranging from the waist to the leg of the occupant P is covered by the fully inflated airbag 13 .
- One end of the airbag 13 is fixed at the top end part of the module case 15 , which is stored in the seat back 12 , by the second fixture 31 .
- Other end of the airbag 13 is fixed at the front end part of the module case 15 , which is stored in the seat cushion 11 , by the first fixture 29 .
- the region between the first fixture 29 and the second fixture 31 of the airbag 13 is stored in the module case 15 , which is positioned at the side part ranging from the seat back to the seat cushion of the seat 14 , in the folded condition.
- the airbag 13 is supported at the both ends thereof by the first fixture 29 and the second fixture 31 .
- the tensile force is applied to the fully inflated airbag 13 .
- the form retaining characteristics of the fully inflated airbag 13 is improved than the case where the airbag 13 is inflated only by gas supplied from the inflator 16 .
- the second airbag unit 2 also has the same construction as the first airbag module, and is composed of an airbag 23 , an inflator 26 , and a module case 25 .
- the one end of the module case 25 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat back 12
- the other end of the module case 25 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat cushion 11 .
- the position of the other end of the module case 25 which is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat cushion 11 , agrees with the position of the other end of the module case 15 .
- the position of the one end of the module case 25 which is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat back 12 , is higher than that of the module case 15 .
- the one end of the airbag module 2 is positioned on a level with the shoulder of the occupant P.
- the module case 25 also has a tear line (not shown) at the side part thereof. This tear line is ruptured by the inflated airbag 23 when the side airbag apparatus is operated, and allows the deployment of airbag 23 to the outward. This module case 25 is stored in the side part of the seat 14 so that the tear line faces the outward in the width direction of the vehicle.
- the module case 25 is positioned just above the module case 15 so that the fully inflated airbag 23 is positioned near the occupant P than the fully inflated airbag 13 when the side airbag apparatus is operated.
- the airbag 23 has a tube-liken shape. One end part of this airbag 23 is closed and the other end thereof connects with the gas outlet of the inflator 26 .
- the size of the airbag 23 is settled so that the part ranging from the shoulder to the leg of the occupant P is covered by the fully inflated airbag 23 .
- One end of the airbag 23 is fixed at the top end part of the module case 25 , which is stored in the seat back 12 , by the second fixture 37 .
- the other end of the airbag 23 is fixed at the front end part of the module case 15 , which is stored in the seat cushion 11 , by the first fixture 35 .
- the region between the first fixture 35 and the second fixture 37 of the airbag 13 is stored in the module case 25 , which is positioned at the side part ranging from the seat back to the seat cushion of the seat 14 , in the folded condition.
- the airbag 13 is supported at the both ends thereof by the first fixture 35 and the second fixture 37 .
- the tensile force is applied to the fully inflated airbag 23 .
- the airbags 13 and 23 deploys between the door trim 18 and the occupant P when the side airbag apparatus is operated.
- the part ranging from waist to leg of the occupant P is protected by the horizontally adjoining airbag 13 , 23
- the part ranging from the shoulder to the flank of the occupant P is protected by the airbag 23 .
- the portion, at which two airbags 13 and 23 overlaps each other has a stronger elasticity than the portion, at which two airbags 13 and 23 does not overlap each other.
- two adjoining airbags 13 and 23 prevent the sidewall part, such as the door 17 containing the outer panel 32 and the door-trim 18 of the vehicle, from bumping against the leg of the occupant P, even if the sidewall part is rushed into the vehicle cabin in the event of side collision with another vehicle.
- the region ranging from the flank to the shoulder of the occupant M is pushed by the fully inflated airbag 23 towards the inside of the vehicle cabin.
- the region ranging from the flank to the shoulder of the occupant M is pushed by the weaker force than the leg part, the physical demands on the occupant's flank caused by the fully inflated airbags 13 and 23 can be reduced.
- the acceleration sensor When the collision with another vehicle occurs and the accelerated velocity of greater than the predetermined value is detected by the acceleration sensor (not shown), the acceleration sensor generates the seizing signal and outputs it to the inflator 16 of the first airbag unit 1 and the inflator 26 of the second airbag unit 2 , respectively.
- the inflator 16 and the inflator 26 spout gas in response to the seizing signal, and supply the gas to the airbag 13 and the airbag 23 , respectively.
- each of the airbag 13 and 23 is inflated by the gas supplied from each of the inflator 16 and 26 , and bursts through the tear line and the seam part of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 . Then both the inflated airbag 13 and 23 deploy into the vehicle cabin toward the region between the sidewall and the occupant M.
- the airbag 13 and the second airbag 23 are supported at the both ends thereof by the first fixture 29 and 35 and the second fixture 31 and 37 , respectively, the airbag 13 and 23 deploys into the vehicle cabin as the configuration shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
- the sidewall part such as the door 17 , does not bump against the leg of the occupant P even if the sidewall part is rushed into the vehicle cabin in the event of side collision with another vehicle.
- the airbag 13 is supported at the both ends thereof by the first fixture 29 and the second fixture 31 and the airbag 23 is supported at the both ends thereof by the first fixture 35 and the second fixture 35 .
- the airbags 13 and 23 are inflated, tensile force is applied to the fully inflated airbags 13 and 23 .
- This tensile force gives the improved form-retaining characteristics of the fully inflated airbags 13 and 23 than the case where the airbags 13 and 23 are inflated only by gas. In other words, since tensile force is applied to the fully inflated airbag, the fully inflated airbag is not easily deformed than the airbag inflated only by gas supply.
- the occupant P can be protected against injury because the collision between the sidewall part, such as the door 17 , and the occupant P is prevented by the fully inflated airbags 13 and 23 .
- FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the condition where the airbag of the side airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment is fully inflated.
- each of the airbags 13 and 13 connects with the inflator 16 via an adapter 28 , which has two-forked gas outlet.
- the diameter of the gas outlet connected to the airbag 23 is made smaller than that of the gas outlet connected to the airbag 13 so that the rate of inflation of the airbag 23 becomes smaller than that of the airbag 13 .
- the components of the side airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment are almost the same as that of the side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment, except that both airbags 13 and 23 are connected to the inflator 16 through the adapter 28 .
- both airbags 13 and 23 are connected to the inflator 16 through the adapter 28 .
- the brief explanation of another components will be omitted.
- the rate of inflation of the airbag 23 becomes slower than the airbag 13 .
- the region ranging from the shoulder to the flank of the occupant P is pushed by the weaker load than the leg of the occupant P.
- the physical demands on the occupant's body, especially the flank part, which is caused as a result of the collision with the fully inflated airbag 23 can be reduced.
- the acceleration sensor when the collision with another vehicle occurs and the accelerated velocity of greater than the predetermined value is detected by the acceleration sensor (not shown), the acceleration sensor generates the seizing signal and outputs it to the inflator 16 .
- the inflator 16 spouts the gas in response to the seizing signal, and supplies the gas to the airbag 13 and the airbag 23 .
- each of the airbag 13 and 23 is inflated by the gas supplied from the inflator 16 , and bursts through the tear line and the seam part of each of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 . Then both the inflated airbag 13 and 23 deploy into the vehicle cabin toward the region between the sidewall and the occupant M.
- the sidewall part such as the door 17 , does not bump against the occupant P even if the sidewall part is rushed into the vehicle cabin in the event of side collision with other vehicle.
- each of the airbags 13 and 23 is connected to the inflator 16 through the adapter 28 , which has two-forked gas outlet, and both of the airbags 13 and 23 are inflated using only one inflator 16 .
- the inflation characteristics such as the timing of the inflation, the rate of inflation, the pressure of the fully inflated airbag, the range of deployment of the fully inflated airbag, can be adjusted using this adapter 28 .
- the occupant P is secured against injury in the event of side collision by adjusting the inflation characteristics in the suitable condition.
- the fully inflated airbag 13 is positioned horizontally adjoining to the fully inflated airbag 23 . But it may be adoptable that the fully inflated airbag 13 is positioned vertically adjoining to the fully inflated airbag 23 .
- the second airbag unit 2 is positioned just above the first airbag unit 1 .
- the location of the second airbag unit 2 is not limited to this, for example, the second airbag unit 2 may be positioned just under the first airbag unit 1 .
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
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- Seats For Vehicles (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to the side airbag apparatus, which protects the occupant of vehicle against injury in the event of side collision by inflating the airbag into a vehicle cabin. More specifically, the present invention relates to the side airbag apparatus, which can surely protect the occupant of a vehicle against injury by inflating airbags into a vehicle cabin from a seat of a vehicle.
- 2. Description of Revelant Art
- The airbag apparatus, which deploys the airbag instantly and protects the occupant of a vehicle against injury in the event of collision of a vehicle, has been well known. Among this kind of airbag apparatus, the side airbag apparatus, which deploys the airbag towards the region between the occupant and the door so as to protect an occupant of a vehicle against injury, have been used against the occurrence of the side collision.
- As an example of these types of conventional side airbag apparatus, there is provided the side airbag apparatus disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publications H9-323607.
- In the conventional side airbag apparatus, since the airbag is inflated by High-pressured gas, which is supplied at constant rate, the rate of inflation and the pressure of the airbag cannot be controlled. Thereby, in case of the airbag apparatus equipped with two airbags, if one airbag deploys toward a weak part, such as a flank and the other airbag deploys toward a strong part, such as a leg, of the body, the weak part of the body may be damaged because both airbags are inflated at the same rate of inflation.
- The present invention relates to the side airbag apparatus, which deploys an airbag between an occupant of a vehicle and a sidewall of said vehicle in order to protect said occupant in the event of side collision of said vehicle.
- This side airbag apparatus has a first airbag and a second airbag. Each of the first airbag and the second airbag has a tube-like shape, and one end thereof is fixed at a seat back of a seat of a vehicle and the other end thereof is fixed at a seat cushion of the seat. In this side airbag apparatus, the position of one end of the second airbag is higher than the position of one end of the first airbag.
- Whereby, the region ranging from a waist to a leg of the occupant is covered by both the first airbag and the second airbag and the region from a shoulder to a flank of the occupant is covered by the second airbag, when the side airbag apparatus is operated.
- On this occasion, since two airbag deploys between the sidewall of the vehicle and the leg of the occupant and one airbag deploys between the sidewall and the shoulder of the occupant, the region ranging from a waist to a leg of the occupant is pushed by the higher force than the region ranging from a shoulder to a flank of the occupant. In other words, the flank part, which cannot bear to receive the high load, is pushed with weaker force than the leg part, which can bear to receive the high load, the physical demands on the occupant's body as a result of the collision against the fully inflated airbag can be reduced.
- FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the seat of a vehicle equipped with the side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment.
- FIG. 1B is a front side view showing the inflated side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is side view showing the inflated airbag of the side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment.
- FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the condition where the airbag of the side airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment is fully inflated.
- The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings with appropriately.
- First Embodiment
- As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the side airbag apparatus according to the present embodiment is composed of a
first airbag unit 1 and asecond airbag unit 2. Thesecond airbag unit 2 is positioned just above thefirst airbag unit 1, and is stored in the side part of theseat 14 together with thefirst airbag unit 1. - In other words, the
first airbag unit 1 and thesecond airbag unit 2 are stored in the side part ranging from the seat back 12 to theseat cushion 11 of theseat 14. - In the present embodiment, the
first airbag unit 1 and thesecond airbag unit 2 are provided in the side part of theseat 14 so as not to interfere with the rotation of theback lest 12, which is pivotably connected with theseat cushion 11 through thehinge part 30. To be more precise, thefirst airbag unit 1 and thesecond airbag unit 2 are provided at the position outside the end part in the width direction of the vehicle of thehinge part 30. - In the present embodiment, the
first airbag unit 1 and thesecond airbag unit 2 are provided at the outside of thehinge part 30 in order to prevent the airbag from damaging. Because, if the position of both thefirst airbag unit 1 and thesecond airbag unit 2 overlaps with thehinge part 30, the airbag may be damaged by the excess load added to the airbag when the angle of theseat back 12 is adjusted. - The
first airbag unit 1 has amodule case 15, aninflator 16, and anairbag 13. - The
module case 15 stores theairbag 13 in the folded condition together with theinflator 16 therein. - One end of the
module case 15 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of theseat back 12, and the other end of themodule case 15 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of theseat cushion 11. Thereby, one end of themodule case 15 is positioned at the upper side of the seat back 12, and the other end of themodule case 15 is positioned at the fore side end of theseat cushion 11. - In the present embodiment, the height of the one end of the
module case 15 is established on a level with the flank of the occupant P. - The
module case 15 has a tear line (not shown) at the side part thereof. This tear line is ruptured by the inflatedairbag 13 when the side airbag apparatus is operated, and allows the deployment ofairbag 13 to the outward. Thismodule case 15 is stored in the side part of theseat 14 so that the tear line faces the outward in the width direction of the vehicle. - The
seat 14 equipped with themodule case 15 has aseat cushion 11, aseat back 12. This seat back is pivotably connected with theseat cushion 11 through thehinge part 30 and has aheadrest 25 at the top of the seat back 12. - Each of the
seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 has a seam part at the side part thereof. This seam part is easily fractured by the expansion power of theairbag 13, when theairbag 13 burst through the tear line of themodule case 15. Thus, the deployment of theairbag 23 into the vehicle cabin is allowed. - The
inflator 16 spouts gas rapidly into theairbag 13 according to the seizing signal outputted from the acceleration sensor (not shown). This seizing signal is generated when the accelerated velocity of greater than the prescribed value is given to the vehicle. In other words, this seizing signal is generated when side collision with another vehicle is happening. - The
airbag 13 has a tube-like shape. One end part of thisairbag 13 is closed and the other end thereof connects with the gas outlet of theinflator 16. - As can be seen form FIG. 2, the size of the
airbag 13 is settled so that the region ranging from the waist to the leg of the occupant P is covered by the fully inflatedairbag 13. One end of theairbag 13 is fixed at the top end part of themodule case 15, which is stored in the seat back 12, by thesecond fixture 31. Other end of theairbag 13 is fixed at the front end part of themodule case 15, which is stored in theseat cushion 11, by thefirst fixture 29. - The region between the
first fixture 29 and thesecond fixture 31 of theairbag 13 is stored in themodule case 15, which is positioned at the side part ranging from the seat back to the seat cushion of theseat 14, in the folded condition. - As mentioned above, the
airbag 13 is supported at the both ends thereof by thefirst fixture 29 and thesecond fixture 31. Thus, when the side airbag apparatus is operated and theairbag 13 is inflated, the tensile force is applied to the fully inflatedairbag 13. Thereby, the form retaining characteristics of the fully inflatedairbag 13 is improved than the case where theairbag 13 is inflated only by gas supplied from theinflator 16. - The
second airbag unit 2 also has the same construction as the first airbag module, and is composed of anairbag 23, aninflator 26, and amodule case 25. - In the following explanation, the explanation about the elements, which are the same as that of the
first airbag unit 1, will be omitted, because the construction of thefirst airbag unit 1 and thesecond airbag unit 2 are almost the same. - As shown in FIG. 1, the one end of the
module case 25 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat back 12, and the other end of themodule case 25 is fixed at the frame (not shown) of theseat cushion 11. - In the present embodiment, the position of the other end of the
module case 25, which is fixed at the frame (not shown) of theseat cushion 11, agrees with the position of the other end of themodule case 15. The position of the one end of themodule case 25, which is fixed at the frame (not shown) of the seat back 12, is higher than that of themodule case 15. To be more precise, the one end of theairbag module 2 is positioned on a level with the shoulder of the occupant P. - The
module case 25 also has a tear line (not shown) at the side part thereof. This tear line is ruptured by theinflated airbag 23 when the side airbag apparatus is operated, and allows the deployment ofairbag 23 to the outward. Thismodule case 25 is stored in the side part of theseat 14 so that the tear line faces the outward in the width direction of the vehicle. - In the present embodiment, the
module case 25 is positioned just above themodule case 15 so that the fully inflatedairbag 23 is positioned near the occupant P than the fully inflatedairbag 13 when the side airbag apparatus is operated. - The
airbag 23 has a tube-liken shape. One end part of thisairbag 23 is closed and the other end thereof connects with the gas outlet of theinflator 26. - As can be seen form FIG. 2, the size of the
airbag 23 is settled so that the part ranging from the shoulder to the leg of the occupant P is covered by the fully inflatedairbag 23. - One end of the
airbag 23 is fixed at the top end part of themodule case 25, which is stored in the seat back 12, by thesecond fixture 37. - The other end of the
airbag 23 is fixed at the front end part of themodule case 15, which is stored in theseat cushion 11, by thefirst fixture 35. - The region between the
first fixture 35 and thesecond fixture 37 of theairbag 13 is stored in themodule case 25, which is positioned at the side part ranging from the seat back to the seat cushion of theseat 14, in the folded condition. - As mentioned above, the
airbag 13 is supported at the both ends thereof by thefirst fixture 35 and thesecond fixture 37. Thus, when the side airbag apparatus is operated and theairbag 23 is inflated, the tensile force is applied to the fully inflatedairbag 23. - Thereby, the form retaining characteristics of the fully inflated
airbag 23 is improved than the case where theairbag 23 is inflated only by gas supplied from theinflator 16. - According to the side airbag apparatus having these constructions, as shown in FIG. 2, the
airbags door trim 18 and the occupant P when the side airbag apparatus is operated. Thus, the part ranging from waist to leg of the occupant P is protected by the horizontally adjoiningairbag airbag 23. - On this occasion, since the
airbag 12 and theairbag 23 are inflated at the same rate of inflation, the portion, at which twoairbags airbags - Thereby, two adjoining
airbags door 17 containing theouter panel 32 and the door-trim 18 of the vehicle, from bumping against the leg of the occupant P, even if the sidewall part is rushed into the vehicle cabin in the event of side collision with another vehicle. - In the present embodiment, furthermore, the region ranging from the flank to the shoulder of the occupant M is pushed by the fully inflated
airbag 23 towards the inside of the vehicle cabin. On this occasion, since the region ranging from the flank to the shoulder of the occupant M is pushed by the weaker force than the leg part, the physical demands on the occupant's flank caused by the fullyinflated airbags - Next, the motion of the side airbag apparatus according to the present embodiment will be explained.
- When the collision with another vehicle occurs and the accelerated velocity of greater than the predetermined value is detected by the acceleration sensor (not shown), the acceleration sensor generates the seizing signal and outputs it to the
inflator 16 of thefirst airbag unit 1 and theinflator 26 of thesecond airbag unit 2, respectively. - The
inflator 16 and the inflator 26 spout gas in response to the seizing signal, and supply the gas to theairbag 13 and theairbag 23, respectively. - Thus, each of the
airbag seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12. Then both theinflated airbag - Since the
airbag 13 and thesecond airbag 23 are supported at the both ends thereof by thefirst fixture second fixture - Thereby, the sidewall part, such as the
door 17, does not bump against the leg of the occupant P even if the sidewall part is rushed into the vehicle cabin in the event of side collision with another vehicle. - On this occasion, since two horizontally adjoining
airbags - In the present embodiment, the
airbag 13 is supported at the both ends thereof by thefirst fixture 29 and thesecond fixture 31 and theairbag 23 is supported at the both ends thereof by thefirst fixture 35 and thesecond fixture 35. Thus, when theairbags inflated airbags - This tensile force gives the improved form-retaining characteristics of the fully
inflated airbags airbags - Thereby, the occupant P can be protected against injury because the collision between the sidewall part, such as the
door 17, and the occupant P is prevented by the fullyinflated airbags - In the present invention, furthermore, since the occupant P is pushed in the direction opposite to the sidewall part by the fully inflated airbag, the possibility of injury of the occupant in the event of side collision can be reduced.
- Second Embodiment
- FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the condition where the airbag of the side airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment is fully inflated.
- In the side airbag apparatus according to the present second embodiment, each of the
airbags adapter 28, which has two-forked gas outlet. - In the present embodiment, the diameter of the gas outlet connected to the
airbag 23 is made smaller than that of the gas outlet connected to theairbag 13 so that the rate of inflation of theairbag 23 becomes smaller than that of theairbag 13. - In the present second embodiment, the components of the side airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment are almost the same as that of the side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment, except that both
airbags adapter 28. Thus, the brief explanation of another components will be omitted. - In the present embodiment, since the diameter of the gas outlet connected to the
airbag 23 is smaller than that of the gas outlet connected to theairbag 13, the rate of inflation of theairbag 23 becomes slower than theairbag 13. Thereby, the region ranging from the shoulder to the flank of the occupant P is pushed by the weaker load than the leg of the occupant P. Thus, the physical demands on the occupant's body, especially the flank part, which is caused as a result of the collision with the fully inflatedairbag 23, can be reduced. - In the side airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment, when the collision with another vehicle occurs and the accelerated velocity of greater than the predetermined value is detected by the acceleration sensor (not shown), the acceleration sensor generates the seizing signal and outputs it to the
inflator 16. - The inflator16 spouts the gas in response to the seizing signal, and supplies the gas to the
airbag 13 and theairbag 23. - Thus, each of the
airbag seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12. Then both theinflated airbag - Thereby, the sidewall part, such as the
door 17, does not bump against the occupant P even if the sidewall part is rushed into the vehicle cabin in the event of side collision with other vehicle. - In the present embodiment, each of the
airbags adapter 28, which has two-forked gas outlet, and both of theairbags inflator 16. Thus, the inflation characteristics, such as the timing of the inflation, the rate of inflation, the pressure of the fully inflated airbag, the range of deployment of the fully inflated airbag, can be adjusted using thisadapter 28. Thereby, the occupant P is secured against injury in the event of side collision by adjusting the inflation characteristics in the suitable condition. - As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained. But the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention may be represented by the various manners.
- For example, in the above described embodiments, the fully inflated
airbag 13 is positioned horizontally adjoining to the fully inflatedairbag 23. But it may be adoptable that the fully inflatedairbag 13 is positioned vertically adjoining to the fully inflatedairbag 23. - In the above described embodiments, furthermore, the
second airbag unit 2 is positioned just above thefirst airbag unit 1. But the location of thesecond airbag unit 2 is not limited to this, for example, thesecond airbag unit 2 may be positioned just under thefirst airbag unit 1. - Although there have been described what are the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of essence of the invention.
Claims (11)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2002095306A JP3950356B2 (en) | 2002-03-29 | 2002-03-29 | Side airbag device |
JP2002-095306 | 2002-03-29 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20030184061A1 true US20030184061A1 (en) | 2003-10-02 |
US7048300B2 US7048300B2 (en) | 2006-05-23 |
Family
ID=28449717
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/395,452 Expired - Fee Related US7048300B2 (en) | 2002-03-29 | 2003-03-24 | Side airbag apparatus |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US7048300B2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP3950356B2 (en) |
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US20040232666A1 (en) * | 2003-05-08 | 2004-11-25 | Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. | Side airbag apparatus |
US20050248132A1 (en) * | 2004-05-06 | 2005-11-10 | Wheelwright Terry A | Inflatable airbag with overlapping chamber |
US20060049617A1 (en) * | 2004-09-03 | 2006-03-09 | Mowry Gregory A | Inflatable tubular or other cushions particularly useful for torso protection |
US20060289220A1 (en) * | 2005-06-28 | 2006-12-28 | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | Occupant protection system, automobile, and occupant protection method |
US20070138774A1 (en) * | 2004-08-13 | 2007-06-21 | Takata-Petri Ag | Lateral airbag device |
EP2216212A1 (en) * | 2009-02-06 | 2010-08-11 | Mazda Motor Corporation | Interior structure of vehicle and method of inflating a side airbag |
CN102029968A (en) * | 2009-09-24 | 2011-04-27 | 马自达汽车株式会社 | Seat for vehicle with airbag device |
WO2011056128A1 (en) * | 2009-11-04 | 2011-05-12 | Autoliv Development Ab | A safety arrangement |
CN103538549A (en) * | 2012-07-10 | 2014-01-29 | 丰田自动车株式会社 | Vehicle seat |
US20140300088A1 (en) * | 2011-12-28 | 2014-10-09 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Vehicle seat |
US8894095B1 (en) * | 2013-05-31 | 2014-11-25 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-facing seated vehicle occupants |
US20140367947A1 (en) * | 2011-11-02 | 2014-12-18 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Vehicle side door structure and passenger protecting system |
US8955914B2 (en) | 2013-05-31 | 2015-02-17 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-seated vehicle occupants |
WO2015061336A3 (en) * | 2013-10-22 | 2015-07-02 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for vehicle occupants |
US9315271B2 (en) | 2013-05-31 | 2016-04-19 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-facing seated vehicle occupants |
US10377337B2 (en) * | 2016-07-22 | 2019-08-13 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Vehicle occupant restraining system |
US11267434B2 (en) * | 2020-06-25 | 2022-03-08 | Hyundai Motor Company | Airbag support device and control method thereof |
DE102021002469A1 (en) | 2021-05-10 | 2022-11-10 | Mercedes-Benz Group AG | Vehicle with a vehicle seat |
FR3124145A1 (en) * | 2021-06-22 | 2022-12-23 | Psa Automobiles Sa | MOTOR VEHICLE WITH THORAX AIRBAG WITH MODULATED POSITIONING BY THE INCLINATION OF THE BACKREST |
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US9108587B2 (en) | 2013-10-08 | 2015-08-18 | Autoliv Asp, Inc. | 3-layer “C” shaped side airbag |
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JP7186873B2 (en) * | 2018-10-19 | 2022-12-09 | オートリブ ディベロップメント エービー | automotive airbag device |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20040232666A1 (en) * | 2003-05-08 | 2004-11-25 | Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. | Side airbag apparatus |
US20050248132A1 (en) * | 2004-05-06 | 2005-11-10 | Wheelwright Terry A | Inflatable airbag with overlapping chamber |
WO2005113300A1 (en) * | 2004-05-06 | 2005-12-01 | Autoliv Asp, Inc | Inflatable airbag with overlapping chamber |
US7347444B2 (en) | 2004-05-06 | 2008-03-25 | Autoliv Asp, Inc. | Inflatable airbag with overlapping chamber |
US20070138774A1 (en) * | 2004-08-13 | 2007-06-21 | Takata-Petri Ag | Lateral airbag device |
US7654562B2 (en) * | 2004-08-13 | 2010-02-02 | Takata-Petri Ag | Lateral airbag device |
US20060049617A1 (en) * | 2004-09-03 | 2006-03-09 | Mowry Gregory A | Inflatable tubular or other cushions particularly useful for torso protection |
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US20140367947A1 (en) * | 2011-11-02 | 2014-12-18 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Vehicle side door structure and passenger protecting system |
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CN103538549A (en) * | 2012-07-10 | 2014-01-29 | 丰田自动车株式会社 | Vehicle seat |
US8894095B1 (en) * | 2013-05-31 | 2014-11-25 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-facing seated vehicle occupants |
US8955914B2 (en) | 2013-05-31 | 2015-02-17 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-seated vehicle occupants |
US9139114B2 (en) | 2013-05-31 | 2015-09-22 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-facing seated vehicle occupants |
US20140353951A1 (en) * | 2013-05-31 | 2014-12-04 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-facing seated vehicle occupants |
US9315271B2 (en) | 2013-05-31 | 2016-04-19 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for side-facing seated vehicle occupants |
WO2015061336A3 (en) * | 2013-10-22 | 2015-07-02 | B/E Aerospace, Inc. | Leg restraint device for vehicle occupants |
US10377337B2 (en) * | 2016-07-22 | 2019-08-13 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Vehicle occupant restraining system |
US11267434B2 (en) * | 2020-06-25 | 2022-03-08 | Hyundai Motor Company | Airbag support device and control method thereof |
DE102021002469A1 (en) | 2021-05-10 | 2022-11-10 | Mercedes-Benz Group AG | Vehicle with a vehicle seat |
WO2022238113A1 (en) | 2021-05-10 | 2022-11-17 | Mercedes-Benz Group AG | Vehicle with a vehicle seat |
FR3124145A1 (en) * | 2021-06-22 | 2022-12-23 | Psa Automobiles Sa | MOTOR VEHICLE WITH THORAX AIRBAG WITH MODULATED POSITIONING BY THE INCLINATION OF THE BACKREST |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP3950356B2 (en) | 2007-08-01 |
JP2003285713A (en) | 2003-10-07 |
US7048300B2 (en) | 2006-05-23 |
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